Implementing Kolb's Learning Style Model in the Delivery of Education Curriculum

Pam Solvie

Pam has come in to visit the UMMTEL student workers and has requested the following things:

• the creation of a UMWiki
• help finding and evaluating a calendar system, preferably one that allows students to submit assignments so the system can organize them
• help with iMovie and Windows Movie Maker, specifically on how to create movies, edit video clips, and insert clips into PowerPoint presentations
• the creation of a new SMF discussion board for her 2006 Literacy and Language course
• course webpage pointers, especially with organization and tying it into Kolb's model
• help with Breeze
• information on the progress of the Croquet Project and on the feasability of using it in her courses
• Children's Book Authors
• Free Online Quiz Software
• Calendar Comparison

Resources

UMWiki

UMWiki Brief Guide.doc

Here are some useful tutorials for the movie-making software:

• http://www.atomiclearning.com/imovie2x.shtml
• http://www.atomiclearning.com/moviemaker2

Here is a guide on using Microsoft Publisher to create DVD labels and case inserts:

• http://www.microsoft.com/education/designcdlabel.mspx

Literacy and Language Website Pointers

• Re-organization of "Course Notes" by week/month/unit:
  • Link week/month/unit to a separate page to save space, or
  • Have a "Course Notes" index with links that will bring the student to their week/month/unit of course
• Flash concept maps of:
  • Halliday's Models of Language
  • Vocabulary: Different Types of Word Learning
    • These maps could drop down when clicked, but otherwise remain hidden
    • This should make the site appear less cluttered
• Have a separate assignment link:
  • Still list the assignments in the "Course Notes" section, but a separate link would be helpful for those who are just looking for that information
  • Organize assignments by week/month/unit
• Index at the top of the page with links to the various sections on the main page, or
• Have separate links for each section that brings students to different pages
  • Make the links interesting with color (use PhotoShop or other)
  • Have the navigation bar on the left contain the most important links (use a template so this is the same on all of your pages)
• Consider adding links of useful teacher resources that students can use while working on lesson plans for their practicum (UMMTEL student workers can find some of these for you if you are interested)
• "Other Sites of Interest" could be a link to a separate page

Organization of Website According to Kolb's Learning Styles Model

• Provide resources that cater to all four modes for the various units, such as:
  • Practicum guides/practical links for help with practicum
  • Flash concept maps
  • Lecture notes
  • Practice quizzes that provide feedback
  • Links to video clips
  • Discussion board with reflective questions, some of which can be optional
  • Assignments (mandatory or optional):
    • Active planning and creating such as projects and lesson plans. Optional ones could be posted on the Discussion Board for discussion and sharing of ideas. Maybe offer extra credit for high quality projects.
    • Watching activities such as video clips and personal stories
    • Thinking activities such as readings and accompanying questions (like a reading guide)
    • Feeling activities such as discussion board topics that involve reacting to an experience
• Have a link on the main page that will bring students to a Learning Styles Course Organization page. On this page, organize course resources based on the modes.
• List resources with different colored links based on the modes that they use
• Ask students to reflect on their different assignments in the discussion board:
  • How can this assignment help me to construct knowledge?
  • How might an assignment like this help my future students?
  • Of what kind of learner is this assignment the most supportive?
  • How can this assignment help me to practice different ways of learning?

Here are some links on Croquet:

• Install Croquet on personal computer: http://www.opencroquet.org
• Watch quicktime tutorials: http://www.opencroquet.org/croquet_technologies/tutorials.html
• Watch a movie demonstration on how Croquet might be used to teach foreign language: http://croquet-bento.blogspot.com/2006/05/croquet-for-immersive-language.html

Feasability report on Croquet by the TEL Office

Articles on Moodle:

MOODLE: A Free, Easy, and Constructivist Online Learning Tool.
Maikish, Athena (amaikish@cathedral.org)
MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 15464636, May/Jun2006, Vol. 13, Issue 3

Abstract:

The article features the management system software called Moodle. The software is designed to help educators create quality online content and a collaborative, interactive environment to support their classrooms courses. The adoption of the software has increased to 150% in academic classes in grades 4-12. Through the use of Moodle, students will be able to learn how to operate various online modules such as online quizzes, online discussions and online journals.

http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=20797595

Use the Moodle Course Management System.
Branzburg, Jeffrey
Technology & Learning; Aug2005, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p40-40, 1p, 1c

Abstract:

Presents information on the Moodle course management system which is an open source system that educators can use to create online courses. Advantages of a course management system for teachers; Reference to the popularity of the Moodle system; Information on how to use the Moodle system.

http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=18071145
(Available through Briggs Library)

The official Moodle site : http://www.moodle.org

Below are links to various videos of children's book authors (some of them being Caldecott or Newberry Award winners) speaking and reading:

Interview with Beverly Cleary
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7034640420729211850&q=children%27s+author

Jacqueline Wilson talks about writing
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3936334535658999579&q=children%27s+author

Lisa LeLeu shows and explains her Puppet Show Books
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2144808317813255040&q=children%27s+author

Kids love Lisa LeLeu Puppet Show Books
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3471416553649937804&q=children%27s+author

Blumenthal interview
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-219263067288804642&q=children%27s+author

The Glasshearts
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1486324807331176108&q=children%27s+author

Lois Lowry talking about writing
http://www.goodconversations.com/VIDEO/LOIS%20LOWRY.mov

Trade Secrets from children’s authors
http://www.readingrockets.org/professionals/librarians#toolkit

Favorite Poem Project
http://www.favoritepoem.org/thevideos/index.html

The Early Readers Club
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/series/readersclub/main500287.shtml

BookHive
http://www.bookhive.org/zingertales/default.asp?storyID=18

Storyline Online
http://www.storylineonline.net/

Eve Bunting (Fly Away Home)
R.L. Stine (Goosebumps)
Jack Prelutsky (It’s Raining Pigs & Noodles)
Pam Muñoz Ryan (Esperanza Rising)
Bruce Degen (Magic School Bus)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8132954079599486818

Short interviews with many authors
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/ancona

Mommy Wars (Reading out of a book)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2253117691789048919&q=childrens+authors

Free Online Quiz Software

Quizz
http://www.daemon.de/Quizz

Free and open source
Question types:
Single Choice
Multiple choice
Regex (text must match certain patterns)
Fill-in-the-blank

Other:
Can limit number of attempts
Can set time limit for questions
Can use templates to adjust appearance (match web site)

Moodle
http://moodle.org/

Free and open source

Has a variety of quiz plugins:
Multiple choice
Fill-in-the-blank
Essay
Matching
Regexp
True/False
Short Answer
Numerical
Can also integrate with:

Webwork (http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/docs/docs/) for math quizzes/homework
Hot Potatoes (http://hotpot.uvic.ca/) quiz software
TexToys (http://www.cict.co.uk/software/textoys/index.htm) (shareware, designed for language instruction)

Quizzes can be made available for limited periods of time, number of attempts can be configured, questions can be shuffled.

Includes automatic grading (several methods), manual grading, item analysis.
Most question types support images and objects such as TeX equations.

Hot Potatoes
http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

Shareware, but free for publically funded nonprofit educational institutions, provided pages are made publically available.

Question types
Fill-in-the-blank
Crossword
Multiple choice
Other

Supports mathematical formulae using html, Unicode, or MathML tages
Current version is limited to Windows, and Linux using Wine. Mac users must use an old version in Classic, or a beta Java version.

AKFQuiz
http://directory.fsf.org/Education/AKFQuiz.html

Free and open source
Makes multiple-choice quizzes, can export a cgi file for use online.
Test Commander

http://www.etestingsystems.com/testCommander/testcommander.php
Free

Can create multiple-choice and true-false tests. Tests can be secured (limited to those in a class), and questions can be randomized.
Appears to only be available for Windows. Automatic grading requires a separate, commercial program. Requires server to support .asp files.

Conclusion
Moodle offers the greatest flexibility and range of test types. It also offers much better grading facilities than the alternatives.

Calendar Comparison

Pam's page will be updated as her project progresses.